OurCrowd Helps Wharton Students Launch Largest Student-Run Impact Investing Platform in the World

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

OurCrowd, the world’s leading equity crowdfunding platform, has announced a unique collaboration that will help students at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania get an industry-leading experiential education in impact investing. This initiative will greatly expand the Wharton Social Venture Fund (WSVF), a flagship program operated under the Wharton Social Impact Initiative (WSII) which allows students to select, curate and diligence investments that will change the world.

In this unique model, WSII trains and supervises MBA and select Wharton undergraduates who staff the Wharton Social Venture Fund program. Thus trained, students earn an exclusive opportunity to work as interns with the investment firm Locust Walk Impact Partners to identify and negotiate terms for compelling impact investment opportunities throughout the world; capital for these investments will then be raised through a special social impact channel on the OurCrowd crowdfunding platform. This development will make Wharton’s offering the largest and most active student-run impact investing program in the world.

“Crowdfunding is a perfect way to raise funds for impact investing. We have already invested in scores of companies that are changing the world in diverse areas such as disabilities, gun safety, food security, malaria diagnostics, tsunami warning, prescription drug assurance, and more,” says OurCrowd CEO and Founder, Jonathan Medved. “By working together with Locust Walk and the Wharton Social Venture Fund, we will dramatically expand the impact investing ecosystem.“

“We are delighted that our students are getting real-life, experiential education in impact investing together with OurCrowd,” says WSII Senior Director Jacob Gray, who oversees the Wharton Social Venture Fund. “At WSII our focus is squarely on the educational opportunity for our Wharton students, who represent the next generation of global business leaders. Now teamed with Locust Walk and OurCrowd they can get experience doing great deals while providing unequaled access for impact investors.”

The collaboration among The Wharton Social Venture Fund, OurCrowd and Locust Walk Impact Partners will take effect immediately. Locust Walk expects the first deals to launch on the OurCrowd platform in Q2 2015.